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RPlog:The Sith Come Knocking
Location - Mandalore Players - Mandalore the Wise, Cantrell, Malign, Lilith, Janx, Maenen Loor (npc), Aknar, Kida Janx walks through the landing area. He had just returned to Mandalore from a visit to his clan lands on Concord Dawn. Now he had returned to his own farm. There was no call for Mandalorian mercenaries so he was choosing to spend the time with his family and make sure his clan was surviving well. Garbed in the full armored attire of a Mandalorian guard, Maenen Loor stands at the ready in a high traffic portion of the landing area. As of yet his blaster remains holstered, but his cold, distant helmet stares off in seemingly every direction at once. Only subtle, periodic movements confirm the fact that the figure is very much alive, and as the helmet lingers in a direction for an extended duration of time, it can be inferred that Loor is assessing particular individuals as potential troublemakers. True to his years of experience, the guards thoughts do not wander from his duties, although several hours have passed since the beginning of his shift. A feminine figure stands off to one corner, the young Kida silently observing those who come and go, trying to look intimidating under her armor and helmet via posture rather than expression, that going unseen as she wears her helmet. Drawn straight, her posture speaks of one trained in combat, the muscles beneath the composite material and the cloth beneath the plates held taut as if she is expecting trouble. While it is a sunny day on Mandalore, the skies quickly grow dark, a massive shadow looming overhead on the ground. The quiet air is suddenly broken with the sounds of countless amounts of dropships and Sith fighter escorts filling the skies above them, and the familiar and now infamous shape of a Leviathan-class fills the air, curiously the ship bears Mando'a markings and symbols on it. The air is soon filled with the triumphant fanfare symbolizing the Sith Order. Not long after the arrival of this armada, the dropships land on the starport, confused port authority officials looking at each other in confusion, crowds of denizens showing a mixture of anger and curiosity of the arrival of the Sith. The lead dropship, a Gamma-class shuttle, painted matte black, lands in the lead, soon an entourage of ceremonial Sith droids, bearing the banner of the Sith Order appear, followed by the red and black clad Wescal Ordo, better known as Cantrell. Following Cantrell down the ramp quietly flanked by two massive black garbed mutant Wookiee figures as Darth Malign. His eyes narrow slightly as he steps out onto the surface of a world he was visiting for the first time. His steps were careful and measured and he knew his place, outsider, very well. He moves closer to the Mandalorian Commando, "Warlord, what should I expect in the form of a welcome?" Ironic he would ask a question of that sort this late into the game, but Malign was that sort of person, he played situations like this off their sleeve and would flex his genius on the spot tactically. Carefully his presence begins to seep out and expand over the area like a chilling breeze as he tries to gauge the area and those in it. Mandalore the Wise is standing the town square of Keldabe. He is not wearing his armor - he rarely does when not in battle or at ceremony. Arema, as he is commonly known around town, is helping to supervise the construction of a new medical facility. It will go a long way to help Keldabe "modernize." It is part of his "vision" for Mandalore, a world long neglected and under-developed. The facility is only partially completed, with construction only a week in progress. But everything is halted as the skies darken. Others point up to the sky at the arriving Sith fleet, casting a dark shadow on Keldabe. "Get the children to safety! I want all available warriors here immediately!" Arema himself rushes to his own small house down the path to retrieve his armor. Mandalore hasn't received visitors since Cantrell, and no invading army has set foot on Mandalore in... well, a long, long time. Whoever they are they have no idea what they're getting themselves into. Mandalore's call is passed throughout the villages - all Mandalorians are warriors, regardless of age or sex. It does not take them long to ready themselves, each warrior arming themselves and taking up positions throughout Keldabe to await their unwelcomed visitors. In the shadow of the rather imposing arrival of such warriors as Cantrell - a being who's armored presence is nothing short of daunting - and that of Malign himself ( a man for whom there are many such descriptive phrases like 'imposing' 'scary' 'frightening' 'calculating'), the arrival of Lilith in the wake of both warriors is really quite quite and could easily be over looked. Despite not being fond of abandoning his post, regardless of the reason, Loor cannot conjure up a compelling reason for why guarding a particular customs checkpoint is more important than Mandalore's call to arms. Not that Loor is at all averse to violent encounters, but, couldn't the visitors have waited until the guard could be off duty, so as to avoid neglecting existing responsibilities? With this in mind, Maenen Loor begrudgingly jogs off toward the town square, using the time in transit to check his weapon for anything that might compromise his chances in combat, should it come to that. Janx curses to himself and grabs the weapon off of his back. Holding it both hands he runs over to where the Mandalore is amassing troops. He turns and looks on as the ships continue to fly overhead. He raises his weapon to stare down the scope at the arriving dropship, "Kriffing chakaar. They have a ner vod leading their little invasion force." Kida is driven into motion upon being called and she too hurries to where their presence has been requested, her black cloak fluttering behind her as she darts after another Mandalorian who also rushes forth. Muttering under her breath, she finds herself startling slightly when she stops, just close enough to see what's happening while not putting herself close enough to be in harm's way if something were to happen and a fight were to break out - not exactly the behavior one might expect from one of the Mandos but that thought doesn't even come to mind, Kida's only thought currently being to stay as safe as possible for right now. "Judging from my last visit, I'd expect to be fired upon, m'lord." The mechanical tinge in the Mandalorian's voice does little to hide the concern on this rather loud and ceremonious arrival by the Sith on the Mando homeworld. "The Mando'ade don't take kind to strangers, especially when they arrive with an entire legion." Reaching over for his Blast and Smash rifle, recently retiring his beloved shotgun for something a bit more loud, the Mandalorian scans around the docking platform, his thermal optics on his visor picking up a growing mass of angry Mando. The thought of having to fight his own kind races through his head, but if it's for survival, then everyone's fair game. "Might be wise to be at arms, m'lord." Malign's Wookiee escorts sniff the air cautiously as the step foot onto the starport catching the sent of movement and the direction it is one lets out an unsettling bellow that seems to rattle nearby structures. Malign's hazel eyes shift back toward him, "Easy friend." he smiles, "It will only be a matter of time before you will get your opportunity, but this is a diplomatic mission." The Sith Lord shifts his attention quickly to Genesis and waves her closer, "Keep to your training, Apprentice, you will need to, the Mando'ade are the greatest warriors in the galaxy second only yo us." he winks before stepping forward, "Warlord Cantrell, I do not want to risk an entire division of droids to chance, deploy our forces in a defensive pattern and keep them around the city for now, not in it. Do not risk upsetting them." The Sith Lord nods to his Mando's advice and checks his own weapons, "Lead the way." he orders pushing the group to march toward the town square to meet whatever resistance they might find there. Malign's senses expand even further as he keeps an eye out for danger, "Check your weapon Genesis, mercy in battle is for the Jedi and it will offer you only death." "Mercy is for the Jedi," Lilith echoes aloud, taking this measure to heart. "The only mercy is that of a swift death, in the place of a lingering one after much screaming, writhing, begging and bleeding. I don't believe we have the time to spend on the latter, do we?" and there may be a hint of a hopeful tone of voice in her words. Mandalore himself arrives at the town square in full battle armor - the helmet of Mandalore covering his entire face, his armor dented and scorched, a sign of years of use and combat. He approaches Kida and Loor, offering a nod to his fellow Mando'ade. "What is the situation? What are we looking at out there?" He can already see the droids from here, the legions approaching the city outskirts. "What banner are they flying?" He noticed their banner, but it was foreign to him, unknown. And their ship designs were completely unknown as well; he had never seen such ships. They certainly weren't Imperial or Republic - which narrowed the field of possibilities down -a lot-. "If they wanted us dead they probably would have just nuked us from orbit... foolish of them." Loor nods his armored head in reply to the series of questions and statements made by Mandalore. He doesn't have an answer to most of the questions, unfortunately, but is resigned to silence for a more important reason. The remark about nuking from orbit, which indeed is the only way to be sure, may still be an option for the invading forces, once their initial assault is inevitably repulsed. If the roles were reversed, however, Loor cannot say that he would act any differently. Looking toward the outskirts, and the arriving droid legion, the man silently prepares himself for whatever low blows may be struck once the aggressors find themselves unable to surpass the Mandalorians at feats of arms. Janx is still looking down the sight of his rifle. It is aimed at the head of the Mando leading this invasion force, "I think it's the Sith. I've heard stories from freighter pilots on my way back here. Apparently they are getting very full of themselves. They've already attacked a few systems on the Outer Rim. They seem to have made Trandosha their capital and have fortified it....heavily." "I do not know," comes the reply, the voice modulator masking Kida's identity almost fully at the same time it almost enhances the feminine qualities to her words when she speaks. "I don't believe I've ever seen them before." Shifting her shoulders, she resettles her armor upon her upper body while watching, a restless motion that thankfully can be masked behind purpose. "I suppose it's best to assume that they're not here under hostile intentions but it's also best that we keep aware. Do not allow ourselves to be lazy or foolish....don't allow ourselves to become...sloppy." Loor and Janx are watched for a minute but then she is soon following her own advice and her attention is once again fully on the situation and the 'visitors' so are advancing which gives her time to dwell on the latter's reply to Mandalore. "As you command, m'lord." Cantrell relays the orders through his internal-com link back to the Mandalorian's Fist, the same order in turned relayed in a steady stream of binary coding to the droids. Soon the city is slowly encircled by thousands of black Sith battle droids, the heavy mechanical march can be heard echoing through the streets in a uniform fashion. Stepping forward, his rifle pressed against his body, the barrel pointing to the floor, the Mandalorian steps forward, using his external-com to amplify his voice across the bay. "I am Warlord Wescal Cantrell, aliit Ordo, of the Sith Order. I bear a message to all Mando'ade. We seek audience to Mandalore the Wise." His voice remains firm yet calm, standing tall and exposed. If someone were to pop off a shot, they were free to do so. The seasoned warrior did not care; he was not looking for a fight. "I bring you the opportunity of a lifetime; to regain the honor and glory rightfully ours as Mando'ade!" Wisdom is also a tool of the Sith despite what the Jedi say and Darth Malign exercises his. He stays behind Cantrell as he marches forward, partially as a shield and second to let him open the 'negotiations' with the Mando's. The Dark Lord's Wookiee honor guard take precautions as well prepared to defend their Sith Master and his Apprentice. Malign's hazel eyes shift toward Lilith as he lets her know through the Force to let Cantrell manage this part of the negotiations, despite a military superiority in space and on the ground the Sith Master would not dare to ignore the threat and ability of the Mandalorian people and their capability as warriors to fight this to a very prolonged and costly level. Lilith strides forward to place herself at the side of Malign. Her blue eyes gleam with intent fascination as she observes the movement o the Wookiee honor guard guard, and the movement and postures of those that are arrayed for their arrival. Her hands rest upon the Shoto's at her sides, fingers curling around the hilts of each with practiced ease. "Sith?" He's heard some reports of the Sith, several news reports filtering their way to Mandalore. Vicious, unrepentant people. "Kida, stay by my side." Mandalore takes a few steps towards Janx. "Janx, target their leader. Those are droids out there, they lack any independence. If trouble does start... you know what to do." With that, Mandalore motions Kida to follow him and he begins walking towards the city gates to confront the leaders of the Sith party. As he approaches he immediately recognizes the familiar form of Wescal Cantrell - decked out in his recently acquired Mandalorian armor. Mandalore had been there for that moment, aiding Cantrell in his quest for his father's legacy. And now here he was, at the head of a Sith force. As Cantrell speaks, shouting his request to the Mandalorians, Mandalore simply smiles behind his helmet. "Cantrell. You have returned. I see you brought some friends... please introduce me," he says, staring at the forms of Malign and Lilith. Hurrying to stay close, Kida finds herself growing angry thanks to how Cantrell and the others present themselves, the fact that they'd come with droids making her livid. "They arrive as cowards and dare speak of honor," Kida hisses out as she slips to Mandalore's left, stopping just shy of standing even with him. She glowers at Cantrell while slipping off her helmet, allowing for her face to be seen for the first time. It is only the fact that he seems to know Cantrell that keeps her from saying anymore but where she is verbally silent she allows her expression to speak for her, obvious anger and contempt readable upon her features. "Ello vod. Bet you weren't expecting me back so soon." Cantrell offers Mandalore a respectful nod, reseting his rifle on his shoulder. Reaching up with his free hand, he pushes his helmet off to reveal his face as well, more of respect to the two meeting Mando. "Do you prefer we just sneak in while your pants are on your ankles, vod?" Cantrell retorts towards Kida, a wry grin forming on the rugged warrior's face. "Now tell me, how do you exactly define 'cowardice'? This..." Motioning to the assembled droid forces. "...is your opportunity to regain ijaat...long have you been subjected to the lame policies of the Republic. They do not use the Mando'ade skill to it's potentional; we do." "Repress your anger, Kida. Losing your head will only worsen the situation. Besides, you and this Mandalorian share a lineage - he is of Clan Ordo as well, and restored his family's honor last month. This Mando'ade is honorable, although I wonder why he travels with such company... and fights with those automatons," Mandalore says, looking at the droids surrounding the city. Mandalore doesn't seem to react to Cantrell's words - calling him vod? surely he could show more respect. But he ignores it for now, even though Cantrell also decided not to answer his question about his company. More important things to worry about. "You speak of restoring our honor, Cantrell. But you expect us to believe you when your army is made of droids? What honor is there? If you've come to impress us, it will take more than just droids at our doorsteps. I'm kind of disappointed, actually." Malign steps to the side and reveals himself from behind the towering Mandalorian figure next to him. The Dark Lord of the Sith was a solid twenty centimeters shorter than Cantrell. Hazel eyes drift to the one they call Mandalore, and to the ensemble of warriors to an untrained eye would look rag-tag at best. These were the sorts of warriors that brought battles to a quicker victory, though there was a very long road ahead. Honor, was something a war could get the Mandalorians and the Sith were good at starting and maintaining the state of war. Malign gently places a hand on Cantrell's shoulder and then decides it is time for him to speak, "I am the Dark Lord, Darth Malign. These droids belong to me." he states simply, "Forgive me, Mandalore, but extreme times call of extreme measures and these droids were the best we could manage to bring our fight to the galaxy." The man steps forward, "Cantrell is an excellent warrior and a trusted war advisor in my Empire. An Empire I am interested expanding using the Mando'ade as the tip of the saber. These droids are not here to impress or intimidate you, they are just here." The Sith's hand gestures, "And they can be gone in a moments notice as well. We are here to offer a contract of sorts, I want to contract the world of Mandalore to join the Sith and enter the galactic war again. Our combined strength will bring us many victories." Lilith is silent from where she stands, remaining in position even as Malign steps forward and speaks to those warriors assembled. Now is not the time for her voice to be added to the words spoken.. not yet. Kida snorts softly, keeping her gaze held firmly upon her clan-mate at the same time she listens to Malign's introduction and his explanation as to why they are here, that filed away for now. "And what of after the honor you seek is won? Will you turn us into slaves? Kill us? Turn us into mindless drones?" She steps forward now and pivots, facing Mandalore, her anger melting into something best described as worried, her expression pleading. "Please, Manda'lor. Don't do it. There is so much we stand to lose and for what? So we can serve the whims of this man?" Descending from the atmosphere is a very unusual, rarely seen type of fighter, though, one that might be more familiar to Mandalorians. A Mandal-motors StarViper Assault Fighter with its wings retracted emerges through some cloud-cover with a pair of Sith Barb-class Interceptors on either wing. The trio of fighters head for the Starport and settle down near the Vendetta, Aknar recognizing its insignia among the other Sith landing craft. Over the coms the Bothan states, "You may assume a patrol pattern over the starport. Standby in case we call." The Coup De Grace settles down on the pad and its engines slowly lower in volume as their whine tapers off and silences. The cockpit opens and a figure jumps out, bending his knees slightly as he absorbs the shock of his landing. Turning, he reaches up and grabs his blaster and sword from the cockpit, strapping on his belt. Two Sith battledroids approach as the Bothan turns to them. "Where are they?" he asks simply. One of the droids respon, "They have moved off to the city square, Warlord Koth'lyri." Nodding Aknar motions to a company standing nearby. A Hssiss Commando stands in front of them, their commander, "Captain, bring your company and fall in behind me. We're going to join Warlord Wescal and Darth Malign." Without waiting, Aknar marches off into the city, followed by his escort. (speaking in Basic) "We've used bes'uliik (basilisk war droids) before? How are we much different?" "Jatne vod...if there is anyone to trust, Lord Malign is the one. He can bring our people to glory, and restore us where we rightfully belong: at the front line of war." Cantrell decides to step in. "The Republic has far long held back our people. Look at everyone; they are weak, and lack guidance. They lack a purpose, and that purpose is war, Jatne vod. (sir)." Looking at his clan-mate after her response, a dark scowl forms on the Mandalorian's face. "Do you prefer fighting amongst the rest of the masses for the scraps? Is that really what the Mando'ade has evolved into?" 'So they want us just like everyone else in the galaxy wants us. For our blood, our strength... typical.' Mandalore smirks behind his helmet, looking down at young Kida. Her words bring with them wisdom and strength that makes him proud. "It has been a long time since the Mandalorians have fought, Kida. We have grown.. complacent. A good war tends to bring about the best in everyone. Maybe that's what Mandalore needs. I do not wish to see the Mando'ade to grow into lazy dullards, sitting on their asses in complacency." He turns his attention back to Cantrell and his Sith counter-parts. "But you do raise a good point," he says quietly to her. He shares her fears. But Mandalore is not one to back down from any potential opportunity, nor is he afraid of the Sith. As Cantrell speaks up, Mandalore nods his head slowly. "As does he, young Ordo," he once again whispers to Kida. He steps forward some, raising his voice as he looks to Malign. "The services of the Mando'ade is not won through mere words, "Darth" Malign. I shall consider your offer if your best warriors can best my best warriors. Let's see how young Ordo there can fare against his clansmate.." he says, looking back to Kida. "Are you up for the challenge, Kida?" He then looks at Malign. "You and your lady friend there can challenge me. If you win... I shall pledge our services to the Sith. If we win... Cantrell must return his armor and none of you shall ever return here." A mass of boots marching on ground can be heard as the company of droids led by their Hssiss Commando Captain walk into the square with Aknar at their head. The Bothan, fully clad in his armor is ever careful to keep his identity hidden. Holding up a hand the droids and their officer halt in formation while the armor-clad figure advances forward. He approaches Malign from behind and stops about 10 feet behind Malign and Lilith. The figure places his hand on the hilt of his sword and his other hand behind his back. His legs part as he assumes an 'at-rest' position, at the ready if he is needed. (speaking in Basic) "We do not fight for scraps," Kida says and she actually lunges with a fist clenched tightly and swung for Cantrell's face. She is not normally so quick to anger but he has pushed her too far and she's not about to allow for herself to be insulted. Whether she actually manages to make contact is one thing and, of course, it stands to be seen as to if she'll come out of this unscathed but she will not hold herself in check any longer. The Dark Lord of the Sith could admire a warrior's courage, but he wasn't prepared to kill the Mandalorian leader yet. Darth Malign smiles, "I admire your style of negotiations." he admits, "As for after the war is over, the Mando'ade will have their freedom, their world, and their war stories. This isn't a call to service for free, this is negotiations of a contract, we will abide by your code." He turns toward his Apprentice, "Genesis, the Manda'lor, wishes to battle us. I feel two on one will be too much for him, however, I might be underestimating him." he steps to the side, "test his metal, if you run into problems I will help you. After all it is two on one." he smiles ushering his apprentice forward to test him, "Do go easy on my daughter Manda'lor." he jests. The Dark Lord's Wookiee guards groan in protest and seem to bristle, "hold your positio-" he goes silent as another figure approaches with his own guard, "The Warlord arrives." he waves a hand to Aknar, "Excellent timing as always, it appears I will be fighting the Manda'lor with my apprentice, keep an eye out for trouble." The Sith's figure seems to go loose as he moves into a combat stance and removes his cloak to show his scared and tattooed figure to the Mandalorians, "Take your chance Lilith, remember we are not Jedi." "Ooh...fiesty dala!" Cantrell sees the incoming fist flailing towards him like a Star Destroyer about to land on his face. Throwing his helmet aside, he does not bother answering Mandalore's questions in words, opting for action instead. "You are bold indeed, dala, but let's see if your skills matches your mouth. And don't expect me to go easy on you just because we are blood." With that, a pair of retractable blades shoot out from either of his gauntlet housing. A massive warcry erupts in the square as Cantrell lunges towards Kida. "Oya!" Lilith steps forward now that Malign has given her the order, the freedom, to act. To respond accordingly. She continues to rest both hands on the hilts of the weapons at her sides, both of which are set at an angle to allow for swift draw without worry of getting tangled in the process. Even as Kida takes a swing at Cantrell Lilith is sizing up the leader of the Mandlorians. Sizing up, literally, for she stands at least a full foot shorter than the warrior, and possibly a full third of his weight, with his armor of course. She frees one hand and unclips her cloak, letting it flutter to the ground so as to not be a distraction, and offers a formal bow to the Mandalore leader, "Wisdom would encourage you to consider my lords offer instead of letting impulse and the more excitable of your youth to force your hand into making decisions. Decide in hate, regret in leisure.. the choice is yours. We are not offering eternal servitude nor the threat of slavery. We are offering combat. battle enough to slake even the most ardent of blood lust. Enough combat to make your weapons run red with the blood of the enemy, and enough to go back for more. This display," and she tilts her head towards Kida and Cantrell, "will prove which of the two warriors have the best training, the best agility. It will not decide the issue, but for the one between them." The blades has Kida startled a bit despite inwardly realizing her folly, the fact that she is surprised inwardly mumbled over even as she follows through with her own punch. One of Cantrell's blades manages to find a gap between two parts of her armor when he moves towards her, causing her to curse loudly and her punch falls short when she stumbles. "Do not dare consider yourself of my blood until you prove yourself to me." This has already far surpassed the need for Malign and those with him to prove themselves worthy as Kida has already escalated this into something personal. Once recovered, Kida swings for Cantrell's face again but instead of her fist and using a straight punch she wheels around, seeking to clock the man in his temple with her helmet. Nodding to Malign the Bothan watches the two fights ensure. Inside his suit he uses his left index finger to trigger a button within his glove. The comlink inside his helmet beeps and he says, "All units, the Darth Malign, Darth Genesis and Warlord Wescal are performing a duel with some locals here in the city square. Do not be alarmed. We will signal if we need forces here. Koth'lyri out." The Bothan moves his head from left to right, his enhanced viewports scan the scene before him, proving him enhanced data on the inside of his helmet with an advanced heads-up-display. As Kida and Cantrel spin about exchanging attacks, a cloud of dust kicks up briefly as one of their feet slide across the ground. The scanner, for instance, quickly encircles the moving cloud with an outline, scans it, reports that is not a harmful gas and clears itself. As he looks in every direction, various readouts such as this present to the Bothan details about everything around him. (speaking in Basic) Mandalore watches as Kida springs into action - a true warrior, if he ever saw one. That's what he likes to see of his warriors. But he cannot focus his attention on their duel. A warrior approaches him, and he must devote every bit of his energy on the young teenager. "So you send a kid to fight me, eh?" he mutters under his breath, sizing the teenager up. But years of wisdom have taught him to never underestimate an enemy, not by age or gender. Any Mandalorian warrior her age would prove that. And if her words are any indication, she is certainly no normal teenager. Smiling, he looks to Malign. "You've sure taught your, er, daughter how to speak, Malign. I'm impressed." He looks at the two short weapons that rest at her sides - lightsabers, he presumes - and grips the hilt of his own blade, a saber made of Mandalorian iron, the same as his armor. "What do you know of battle, little one? of death? Have you ever faced a true Mandalorian warrior before?" He pulls the Mandalorian blade out of his sheath and grips it with two-hands, pointing the tip of the blade at the young Sith. "Your move... dala." "Words are a weapon as well." Malign responds to the Mandalore with a light shrug as his muscles tighten to spring to Lilith's rescue at a second, should she need it. The Alchemist could make out the Mandalorian armors and weapons well and knew it would be a match for the technologies of the Sith and Jedi, another reason for recruiting them into their fold. Darth Genesis needed this test, a sort of final test to make sure she was prepared to be the apprentice of the Dark Lord of the Sith and heir to his Empire, and to see if she was worthy of being called daughter. "Darth Genesis can hold her own, Mandalore, I would advise against a battle to the death. I would like to keep you alive and make you a valuable ally." he smiles darkly stalking around the two warriors now gauging the Mandalore and his own apprentice, "Remember your training Genesis." he orders, "He is a warrior's warrior, the Manda'lor is the strongest warrior in the galaxy outside the Sith." he says, "Focus your emotions, hate him, or you will die." "Maybe you're right...you don't fight like an..." Before Cantrell can finish the words, the helmet comes out of nowhere, squarely hitting the side of the Mandalorian's head with a horrific bang, causing him to stagger back several feet before dropping to one knee. "Oh..." He pauses, shaking off the blurry haze of vision from the wicked hit. Taking a second to compose himself, the Mandalorian grits his teeth, a wicked grin forming on his face. "Kandosii, vod! (Well done, mate!)" Cantrell nods approvingly, staying in his kneeling position for a moment. His grin grows even wider when all of a sudden, an extremely loud whine kicks up from behind him. A new toy he recently acquired. The jetpack he recently acquired roars to life, a plume of smoke filling the air around him. "My turn." With a loud, concussive blast, the jets fire at maximum thrust, propelling the warrior straight towards Kida, arms outstretched to grab hold of the woman. Lilith's gaze only drops briefly to assess the actual construction of the blade that the Mandalore leader holds before she strides forward to close the distance between herself and her opponent. Per the rules of his culture, it would be a sign of weakness on his part to have any of his warriors interfere. And she relies upon his cultural quirks in order to ensure that there are no distractions. She strides forward, drawing the blades from her side and activating them with a press of the switch built into the pommel of each unit, the blades snapping into existence with that familiar *snap-hiss* of sound and calmly modifies the lengths of the blades to a more moderate posture. After all, she doesn't want to be rude. Her head inclines in the most brief of gestures, a polite nod really, before she gestures with the tip of one blade to beckon the warrior to step away from the relative proximity of those around him. After all, no reason to spill this out any further. There would be some form of celebration done by the younger Ordo but she finds herself suddenly...flown at?...which has her bracing herself for the impact. Of course the bracing comes complete with a closing of her eyes in a wince which means Cantrell can snag her, easily. "Poodoo..." she growls out while going for the other Mando's face, trying to rake her nails across his eyes or any other sensitive part of his face if she's able to. Regardless of if she can or not she struggles, trying to worm her way out of his grasp, Kida not wanting to let him have the advantage over her for too long. "Put me down!" Her weapons closely resembled lightsabers - but the hilt was noticeably shorter. He wasn't sure exactly what advantage it granted the girl - perhaps something to do with the fact she was wielding two of them. Either way, he expected it to function in much of the same way as any other lightsaber he had encountered in his life. He nods in understand as she gestures and he complies accordingly - he too does not want to have their fights cross path and potentially screwing up his challenge. He moves further away, his back turned to Lilith as he does so - he expects her to be a worthy warrior, one to not attack from behind before the fight even started. He finds a suitable clearing to the east, away from any of his Mando'ade warriors, and turns around to face Lilith, one-on-one. He once again points the tip of his blade at the teenager, nodding his head. "Good enough for you, Darth? As I said before, your move." The Warlord takes a few steps forward stand beside Darth Malign. "My Lord, I just received word that a small light freighter had entered the system, apparently on normal business. A patrol disabled its engines and we've detained the passengers onboard the Shadow's Claw. I did not want whitenesses to reveal our presence here." The Bothan turns to watch the fights, noticing Janx, a remaining figure who is not yet engaged in fighting. (speaking in Basic) Lilith does observe the same measure of honor that the Mandalore leader expects her to observe. Not out of a cultural quirk, of course, but out of the same bone-deep instincts that have been built into her actual sense of self. Once they've reached the clearing and have the room and the space to move about, though fighting in close quarters is something else she's been trained in, she doesn't spare breath for more talking and simply takes the initiative, as clearly he's expecting her to do. She closes the distance with a pair of steps, bringing her well within weapons reach of the weapon that the Mandalore leader is holding, both of her blades held low and at the ready. She opens with a measuring swipe of her blades in a crisp lateral motion, testing his defensive range. Malign steps to the side and joins Aknar, "A small freighter on business, here?" the Dark Lord stops to ponder, "Get the crews names and tear the ship apart and get an idea of its manifest, where it came from, where it was going after, everything." he states quietly, "I do not want anything to interrupt this and our developing business relations with the Mandalorians, is that clear?" He stands to watch as Lilith gets ready to engage in the most challenging fight of her life, this would prove to be more difficult than the gundark's nest. He smiles darkly goading her through the Darkside, "Show no weakness Genesis, honor is acceptable, but weakness is not!" Snatching Kida off her feet ended up being quite painful. Nothing hurts than suddenly slamming into another armored body when you are flying across in a jetpack. The impact causes Cantrell to grunt a bit, though he ignores the pain and enjoys the moment of toying around with the woman warrior a bit, flying about the square, taking hard, g-force inducing turns. As the woman continues to beat and scratch away at him, the Mandalorian at one point almost loses control of the jetpack. Hearing her words amongst the rush of air around him, Cantrell nods in compliance. "You want down? Alright!" Suddenly, the jetpack suddenly thrusts in reverse, causing the two flying bodies to jerk into a painful stop, Cantrell releasing the grip of the woman. Mandalore usually does not like letting his opponents get the first attack. But this is an opponent he knows nothing about - she's a mystery, and he admits he's a bit apprehensive. He has never fought a Jedi head-to-head, much less a Sith. He wants to get a grasp of her fighting technique. Let her come first, swing and attack. He'll go on the defensive, adjust as he learns, and then go in for the finish. Gripping his blade tightly, Mandalore observes her movements, paying heed to her muscle movement, her body language, her eyes... trying to calculate her moves. When the first attack comes he reacts instantly, his blade moving up to parry the swipe. Even though he's in his seventies, the Mandalorian leader is far from slow, his reflexes as honed as anyone half his age. The Mandalorian iron reacts with the lightsaber, and the famed Mandalorian iron does it part, doing the unthinkable: parrying a lightsaber blade. When the blades meet, Mandalore uses his superior strength, amplified by his armor, to push forward with his blade, hoping to shove the young woman back. He immediately follows up by extending his right leg, a kick aimed at her abdomen. "Of course, Darth Malign. I will have a crew detail the ship and verify the report myself. As for the prisoners, they will be transferred to the Hades for information extraction. I doubt they are of any consequence, but if they are, we will find it." The Bothan does not seem concerned but duly notes his Masters forceful command about the freighter. The matter will require his personal attention. The Bothan draws his sword, an old family heirloom from Kothlis. He remarks to Malign, "Master, while I cherish this weapon, I might request of you to lend me some stronger material to fashion a new one of these. Something that would not fail me in battle." He watches Kida and Cantrel in their aerial embrace with amusement. "Of course. I know you have more on your mind than to appease me, Master, but I could have some of my people fashion something myself....its just that I know you actually have the resources, due to your expertise in this area." Well, this has gone from bad to just worse and as she is dropped she has a split second to position herself so that there will be minimal damage to her joints when she hits the ground. It'd be difficult under favorable conditions but she's feeling a bit woozy thanks to the other Mando's act of aerobatics and her sense of balance has been sent askew as a result. "Oooooph," Kida exhales harshly when she lands, her feet taking the brunt of the impact followed by her hands, that being enough to send her into a tumble. Rolling a good ten feet, the girl eventually comes to a halt, laying on her stomach, somehow having managed to keep hold of her helmet the entire time she did her poor impersonation of a somersault. The advantage of youth, over age, is increased agility and reflexes. Lilith can read the parry and the following shift of posture as her opponent prepares a kick aimed at her abdomen - or where it would be if she were still standing there. Only she's not. Once the blades have met, clashed, and been thrust aside she swings adeptly to her side, pivoting sharply with one heel planted in the dirt while the other lifts and she twists about to aim a sharp backwards jab towards the back of the knee upon which his weight is balanced. She brings her blades around, reversing her grip on the blade in her left hand while the other spins briefly and aims a slicing blow down towards the wrist to the hand which holds his blade. Malign turns to the Bothan and carefully gauges him and his request, "I doubt sending the prisoners to the Hades will be necessary that vessel has precious cargo and we may not want to risk its position." he states sternly, "Anyone take aboard the Hades goes with the stipulation they never leave the vessel, because information gathered there would unhinge the galaxy's greatest secret." he frowns reaching out and touching the Bothan's sword pressing two fingers onto its surface as dark energy begins to spring about like shadowed tentacles on his back a horrible visage only Genesis would be able to see. The Dark Lord pours energy into Aknar's sword strengthening its bonds and hardening the weapon making it nearly indestructible, though the weight of the weapon seems to increase as well, "New equipment can be overrated, take note of the Mandalorians, they hone and manage their equipment like masters, it becomes a part of them as trust as their own arms and legs. You could learn something from them old friend." Quick little bugger. The one disadvantage to his heavy Mandalorian iron suit was, of course, the lack of real mobility. While it did not affect him in a blaster fight, it did make a difference when fighting a quick opponent in a duel. His kick does nothing but hit empty air, and he plants his foot on the ground with a thud. His eyes follow the girl as she swings about and gets to his side. Her kick to his knee is met with a thud - the hardened beskar absorbing the kick, which probably hurts her foot more than anything. But he's simply not fast enough to avoid her swipe at his wrist - he begins to move, trying to avoid the attack, but he can only get so far. The lightsaber blade comes striking down on his upper arm instead, digging through the beskar and cutting into his arm. Hissing in pain, Mandalore forms his left hand into a ball and swings at the girl's face. The jets swivel, allowing the Mandalorian to hover several feet off the ground, the constant plume of smoke filling the air around him as he navigates himself on the jetpack with relatively ease. The grin keeps getting bigger and bigger as he has his way with the young Mando female, finally landing several feet away from her. "Get up." Cantrell lets out a half-growl command, turning to spit off to the side. One pair of the blades retract from his arm as he walks slowly towards the downed Mando, watching her cautiously as he moves closer. "I said get up." The younger Mando was hoping he'd come closer and bend over to make sure she's alright but he obviously isn't going to allow himself within striking range of her, much to Kida's annoyance. Turning to face Cantrell, she pauses a second to wipe a bit of blood from her lower lip, the red smearing upon her chin when she does. "You want me to get up..." Kida laughs darkly for a second before she rolls again, this time towards the man, wanting to sweep his feet out from under him, her helmet left behind as it's useless as a weapon now. "How about you join me....*grunt*....down here!?" The advantage of great height may never be hers, and it certainly isn't hers at this present point in time. At only 5'0" Lilith is considerably shorter than her opponent, and as his fist is swinging towards her face she simply ducks. that's all, she just ducks and pulls both of her blades towards her body then lunges forward, both weapons aimed at the center of his body while her thumbs hit the control switch on the blades and extending the length another foot in the process, which extends her reach considerably. The Warlord defers to the command of his master, "As you wish my Lord. I shall keep the prisoners on the Shadow's Claw." The Warlord watches as Malign touches his blade, not really understanding what was happening until after it was over. He understands the power of the Dark Lord of the Sith but he only thought he had been testing the blades strength. A bit surprised, only Lilith and Malign might be able to detect it from under his armor, "My gratitude, as always, Lord Malign." He holds the blade up in the air, before him, his visor analyzing its new molecular makeup. (speaking in Basic) The girl ducks, and he once again finds himself hitting only empty air. Cursing in Mando'a, he finds himself in a rather embarrassing position... losing to a teenager. He watches as she lunges forward with her blades, calculating the distance she would have to cross to strike in that instant. But he never knew the secret of the shoto: it could be extended at the user's whim. So while he's preparing to dodge the coming lunge, the blades extend and find their contact. Although Mandalorian iron can block lightsabers, it is not invincible nor immune to lightsabers; a strong enough attack, concentrated at the right spot, will ultimately break through the iron - although the inevitable damage to its wear won't receive as much damage if he were in any other form of armor. Still, the tip of the blades dig into Mandalore's torso. It's fortunately not deep, but still enough to send the Mandalorian warlord reeling back and onto the floor, hitting it with a loud thud. 'How the mighty have fallen...' The lightsaber instantly cauterizes the wound, so no blood seeps forth from the entry wound; despite this, he is hurt, but not out of the fight yet. On the ground he sweeps his leg across, hoping to knock her legs out from under her and bring her crashing to the ground. Lilith presses the attack forward, following the adage of the age old question: Be the ant that's crushed beneath the shoe, or be the shoe that does the crushing. She is the shoe. As soon as the warlord reels back, she leaps forward, literally leaping forward to hopefully avoid any counter attack, and lands quite literally on the warriors chest. One knee hits with a jarring thud while she uses the other to pin the wrist holding his weapon. She lays one blade across his neck while the other is angled now for a downward thrust, "I can grant you a swift death," she offers in that clear young voice, "for I do not recall if you selected the option to a fight to the death or no. It would be terribly rude of me to offer you a swift death if we were only fighting to a certain demarcation in combat. Please advise me that I may proceed accordingly," she asks in a perfectly polite, precise, tone of voice. Mandalore has been beaten. Simple enough. His attacks were for naught; she was too fast, too agile, too good. And he is an old, tired man now, wounded and trapped on the ground, pinned with a blade to his neck. Although she can't see his expression, she might be able to perceive his emotion through the Force: it is not one of anger or sadness. No, Mandalore is a prideful man, one who knows to accept defeat and not feel sadness over it. He uses his defeats as motivators: he has been beaten, and he will use this lesson as a means to improve himself. He chuckles a bit. "No, no, my dear. No blood will be spilled today. You are indeed a true fighter, worthy of any Mando'ade. You are... jate... you must make your father proud. You are the victor. But, it is not over," he says, turning his neck to observe Kida's fight. "You have beaten me, but Kida still fights. Their outcome will now dictate the fate of Mandalore." He looks back to Lilith, smiling behind his mask. "Who taught you how to fight like that?" Lilith deactivates both blades simultaneously and slides to her feet, sheathing both blades at her sides before she offers one hand towards the older warrior to help him to his feet again. that armor looks awful heavy, after all. "My father," she says with evident pride in her tone of voice as she prepares to turn her attention towards the engagement between Cantrell and Kida. This woman was indeed feisty. Indeed she is an Ordo; strong-willed, determined, and not a bad fighter in any respect. Her sweep to his legs is partially successful; it does cause the much heavier Cantrell to stagger and drop to one knee, using one of his hands to brace the fall. Bringing his free hand up in a mix of fist and steel blades, he's about to strike before he looks over at the fight with Mandalore: it is over. And too he ends; he's not looking for blood. Returning his gaze to the woman, Cantrell relaxes a bit, the blade sliding back in it's protective sheath. "Good fight, vod." Offering Kida a smile, the Mandalorian slowly pushes himself back up to his feet, offering a hand to the downed woman. "I underestimated your skills, for that I am at fault." There was a sudden emission of pride from Darth Malign as he now steps forward placing his hands on both of Genesis's shoulders and standing over her looking down at the Mandalore, "Indeed, she is a quick study." he admits, "Help the Manda'lore up, Darth Genesis, and help him see to his wounds." he orders, "We are after all civilized." He releases his grip on the young girl and turns his attention now toward Cantrell and Kida, "The clan-mates battling for the fate of their entire people, a romantic gesture to be sure." As things come to a close the Dark Lord's eyes turn toward Mandalore the Wise, "I believe we have an agreement, you will hear from us soon." he gestures toward his folks, "Fall back to Ziost." Kida is glad the fight's over as, for as much as she still has the fire in her, she lacks the energy, that having been spent quite a bit ago. "As had I you," she whispers through a bloodied mouth, her last stunt having caused more damage to the lip which had already been split open when she fell and hit the ground. The hand is regarded as if it is a snake, her eyes going wide but it is soon taken and is used for leverage as she works on getting herself upon her feet. "Not bad for an old man." She looks around to see where Mandalore is, her brow creasing with concern, but she remains where she is, choosing to wait until later to seek him out and make sure he is alright. Sheathing his sword, Aknar turns his back on the Mandalorians and the Sith. He motions to the officer, "Escort their Lordships back to the Starport." Inside his helmet, his comlink keys, "Rear Admiral Hayward, We are done here. Prepare the fleet to depart for Ziost. The landing craft will be returning to orbit shortly." Aknar swivels his body around. speaking to Malign, "I shall depart, with your permission, for the Shadow's Claw, my Lord." Lilith gives another one of those crisp nods and says, "I would be happy to make repairs caused by damaged that was acquired during the course of our conversation," she says to the Mandalorian leader. The Dark Lord nods toward the Bothan, "Depart at your leisure Warlord." Malign states simply, his own escort falling in behind him, "When you are done here Darth Genesis, return to the command ship." he orders plainly before moving back to get a ride back to the Mandalorian's fist. One of the mutant guards picks up Malign's cloak and carefully drapes it over his shoulders as the small group move on, "Withdraw all these troops from the planet, Mandalore is a free world." he orders before disappearing from sight. "Age is experience, vod." Cantrell retorts with a faint grin, looking around for his helmet that he threw off to the side at the beginning of the fight. Reaching down for it, he takes a moment to slip it back on, the external-com crackling back to life. Turning his head to face Kida, he utters a few words before following the rest of the group away. "Until next time, vod." Sith Come Knocking, The